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Hello:),
Here is the only (bad) picture I got of this fly:(. I can't even find its family but it looks characteristic! And a detail as shown by the two arrows: strange protuberances on the sides of the thorax:o... but its still a mystery for me: rhagionidae, or half a dozen various families...


Can you identify it?
Matthieu

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Very good find, this. It is Clitellaria ephippium of the family Startiomyidae. The larvae live in ant nests. The species is considered to be rare. Once you have seen it, you will never forget it. There are some pictures of a pinned specimen in the Stratiomyidae album in the Diptera Gallery.

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Thanks Paul.



Yes indeed, at first glance I actually wondered what it could be! :o


Yes, nice fly!
I searched in the gallery before my post but I have many problems to identify family characters:D

Matthieu

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I would really love to see this species in real life!
And, living in Belgium I think that Sint-Pietersberg and the Belgian part of it (Montagne St. Pierre) could be good spots to look for it.
Does anyone have suggestions for other (closer) locations? (I live in the western part of Belgium, so I realise that I will have to drive quite a distance anyway...)
And another question for those who have already seen this species: do I have to look for it by checking flowers like umbellifers or is it better to try to find them while they are sunbathing on leaves etc.?

mvg
Nico

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I don't know if these informations are relevant:o but the one I saw was on a Rubus sp. leaf, at 10.30am, in woodland("alluvial forest" )-grassland border near Loire river (50m). It was not in direct sun.

Good find...:)

Matthieu

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Forgive me, but the Loire river may be just a little bit too far for me :)

I will give it a try during the next weekends here in Belgium and I'm gathering as much information as I can right now. I will post my observations here (if I'm very lucky...)